


In the Darkness, I Am Found

by As_I_Am_Now



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Blindness, M/M, blind!cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-02
Updated: 2013-05-02
Packaged: 2017-12-10 04:06:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/781570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/As_I_Am_Now/pseuds/As_I_Am_Now
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tumblr request for Blind!Cas; Dean meet's a strange blind man in a coffee shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Darkness, I Am Found

Dean first noticed him when he was running late to work.  
He ran into the coffee shop, determined to get caffeine before the big meeting at the office. As he began preparing his coffee he suddenly felt uneasy. Turning around he noticed a gruff looking man staring at him from one of the tables.   
Well Dean could only assume he was staring at him.  
The man was wearing large, thick sunglasses and a heavy looking trench coat. His face had stubble and his hair was out of sorts but he did not look homeless. As Dean left the shop he noticed a walking stick neatly folded on the table.  
Dean shrugged and practically sprinted out of the door.  
His meeting was in ten minutes.  
*  
The second time Dean saw the man, he had more time on his hands.  
It was a Saturday and Dean decided to treat himself so he went to the coffee shop he had visited earlier that week and sat at a table, thick creamy pancakes and a warm cup of coffee in mind.  
While he waited for his food he heard the tingle of the bell at the door and a pretty little blonde waitress flew past Dean and started greeting the customer happily.  
“Here you are Castiel.” She said as she led the way to the table. The blind man smiled, and allowed himself to be seated comfortably, in the booth across from Dean.  
“The usual?” the waitress asked.  
“Yes, please.” Castiel replied. His voice was low and raspy, as though he didn’t know how to use it. When the waitress left, Dean tried his best to look at everything and everyone but the man in front of him.  
“Here you go Cas.” The lady said, handing the man his coffee.  
“And here you go sir.” The same blonde waitress said, handing Dean his pancakes. Dean smiled politely and dug in.  
He was so happily encased in food euphoria that he hardly noticed someone speaking to him.  
“That smells delicious.” The man in front said. Dean looked up from his food and smiled, feeling uncomfortable when he realized a smile was not the proper reply.  
“Yeah, I haven’t had pancakes in years.” Dean replied.   
“Then I won’t stop you from enjoying them.” The man said, lips twitching into a smile.  
“Thanks.” Dean replied, but soon felt awkward when he noticed the man was still staring at him.   
Dean quickly shoved the rest of his pancake down his mouth and paid the waitress.  
He left but the image of the blind man smiling did not leave him for the rest of the day.

*  
The third time Dean saw Castiel he had had enough.  
All week the man stayed on Dean’s mind. Dean just couldn’t stop thinking about him. During meetings he would wonder about Castiel, thinking about who he was, where he lived, what he did.   
It was silly but Dean had never considered what it would be like to be blind.   
The world was so filled with color, every image processed from the moment one opened one’s eyes to the moment one fell asleep was a glorious film of colors and imagery that cannot be replaced.  
And Dean knew that had he been denied his sight, he would be horribly depressed. So when he encountered Castiel for the third time, he nervously stood next to his booth, trying to get out the words he desperately wanted to say.  
“You can sit down if you want.” Castiel said, staring ahead. Dean jumped and mentally slapped himself for his edginess.  
“I’m sorry.” Dean said, taking a seat across from him.  
“No need to apologize,” he extended his hand, “My name’s Castiel.”  
“Dean.” He replied, shaking his hand amiably.  
“What brings you here Dean? Not that I mind but you didn’t seem very talkative last week.” Castiel said.  
Dean’s face heated and he stuttered before reply.  
“I didn’t think you-“  
“Recognized you? You’re musky smell is hard to miss.” Castiel said, smiling.  
Dean frowned and sniffed his collar.  
“No,” Castiel said suddenly, “It’s your smell, not some cologne.”  
Dean quirked an eyebrow and after a few moments chuckled to himself.  
“What are you? Some kind of Matt Murdock, lawyer by day, Daredevil by night?”  
Castiel smirked.  
“Well you got the lawyer part right.”  
“No kidding? Next thing you know I’ll find a red spandex outfit in your apartment.”  
“Can I take your order?” one of the waitresses asked. When Dean looked up, red faced, he noticed it was the same girl from last week.  
“My usual and a coffee with pancakes for Dean.” Castiel said to the waitress. She turned to him and smiled, giving a cursory glance to Dean before heading to another table.  
“So, lawyer huh?” Dean continued after the waitress gave them their coffee.  
“Yes, I’m with Novak and Novak.” Castiel replied, sipping his coffee.  
“You’re kidding me?” Dean said, “My brother works there!”  
“Really?”   
“Yeah, he’s been working there for a few years now, dating Luke Novak himself, they were buddies in school.”  
“Funny.”  
“Why?”  
“Luke’s my brother.”  
Dean almost spit out his coffee.  
“You’re related to Luke? And I’ve never met you?”  
“To be fair I keep mostly to myself.”  
Dean leaned back against the seat.  
“You’re something else Cas.” Dean said.  
Castiel smirked.  
“I think I like that nickname.”  
*  
And so it continued that way for many weeks. The two men would meet every Saturday over breakfast and have long talks that would last well into lunch. Dean would never admit it aloud but Saturdays became days that he looked forward to the most, days that he thought of when his weekdays became too dull, too harsh and too aggravating to deal with. It was the image of a smiling cas sipping his coffee that got Dean by.  
When Dean went to see Castiel for, perhaps, the twentieth time, Cas was nowhere to be found.  
He entered the coffee shop and had waited two hours but the blind man wasn’t anywhere. Dean became jittery, rocking back and forth in his chair when he saw that Cas wasn’t coming at all. He wanted to know where the man was but he realized he didn’t have a phone number an address, nothing to contact the other man by. Desperate he approached the blond waitress.  
“Miss.”  
“Jo.”  
“Right- Jo, do you know where Cas is?” he asked. She gave him a look over and shrugged, ready to turn away and get back to work.  
“Look,” Dean began, “I just want to talk to the guy, I’m worried about him.”  
Jo looked at him seriously before sighing and shaking her head.  
“Well he does seem pretty happy talking to you so I’m guessing you’re not some creeper.” She relented. He waited.  
“Sometimes he hangs out at the church on the end of 7th street. It’s a big building, you can’t miss it.” She said. Dean smiled and thanked her as he rushed out.  
*  
The church was huge and foreboding, it’s walls spoke of decades of impenetrability and solitude. Dean stared at its painted glass and tall towers and walked straight in.  
It did not surprise him to see Cas kneeling, alone, in front of the altar.  
Dean walked slowly to him taking in the image of Cas kneeling on the cold stone floor, looking up at the image of Christ looking down at him. The multi-colored light from the many glass windows hit Castiel with such force that he looked like an angel; untouchable, beautiful.  
“Hello Dean.” Cas said voice constrained. Dean walked quickly to his side and knelt beside him.  
“Hey Cas,” he said looking at Cas’s face. The sunglasses that he had grown so accustomed to seeing were gone and in their place were two gorgeous blue eyes. Dean stared at them; amazed that he had never seen his friends eyes until now. They were staring at the altar.  
“Do you think things happen for a reason Dean?” Cas asked, throwing Dean out from his thoughts.  
Dean looked around anxiously, unable to form what he wanted to be the right answer.  
“Well- I don’t know.” He said truthfully, “I hate to think that my parents dying when I was young happened for a reason.”  
Cas turned to him and stared at his face. Eyes unfocused but attentive nonetheless.  
“I wasn’t always blind Dean.” Cas said softly, “I got into a car accident when I was young and ever since then…” he grabbed his walking stick.  
“I used to be so angry, I used to want to yell at everyone, how dare they see while I was blind? Why me? I only ever wanted to help people. After a few years I got used to it. I started appreciating things that I began to do better, like hearing and smelling. People passed me by but I passed them and that was all right because the one’s that stayed, that cared, those were the ones that mattered. So I continued on, not caring, just living, waiting for the eternal darkness to take me in…” Cas said quietly. Dean had to strain his ears to listen.  
“And then I met you and all I’ve wanted to do Dean, all I’ve ever wanted to do since I heard your voice was see you.”  
“Cas…” Dean whispered.  
“All I want to do is see you Dean. And I can’t.” Cas said, faced downcast.  
Dean looked at those blue eyes and felt something deep within his heart broke. He liked Cas. There was something about him that drew Dean in, a kind of kindred soul that understood him on levels that even his brother failed to comprehend. And Dean wasn’t afraid to admit that he lo-  
He grabbed Cas’s hands and traced his face, slowly. He guided Cas’ hands from his forehead to his chin, letting him touch his nose, his mouth, the crevices in his eyes, everything. Cas raised his head in surprise but allowed Dean to maneuver his hands.   
“Do you see me Cas?” Dean asked softly, letting go of Cas’ hands. Cas continued to trace the lines of his face, his eyes closed, perhaps picturing in his minds eyes what Dean looked like. Dean smiled at Cas’ looked of determination and when Cas felt Deans lips quirk upward he smiled as well.  
“I see you,” said the blind man.


End file.
